


Silver Orchid

by annyaaliyah



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-29
Updated: 2014-03-29
Packaged: 2018-01-17 07:18:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1378723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annyaaliyah/pseuds/annyaaliyah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mr. Gold ventures into the woods in search of an ingredient for his potion. However, he runs into a surprise, Belle, a woman who he has always loved but he deems dead long ago. Is Belle real or merely a figment of Gold's imagination?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Silver Orchid

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place in post-cursed Storybrooke, Maine. Belle was never reunited with Gold. Gold thought that Belle threw herself off the tower and died back in the Enchanted Forest.

The very first ray of dawn had struck through the stained glass windows of the pink Victorian mansion. Nevertheless, the basement remained caliginous. Gold had fallen asleep on the wooden work bench last night while he ran into a conundrum on how to amalgamate a potion, a delicate mixture that would cast away a problem in which Regina was about to inflict.

Frigid air of the early spring in Maine somehow found its way into Gold's basement and seethed through the very core of his bones. Gold opened his eyes with unease and exerted some pressure onto his temples with his thumb in attempt to alleviate the reoccuring migraine. "Bloody hell," Gold cursed. This was the third day that he had spent on producing this portion, and time was running out. Fortunately, he was feckly close to completion, but something was missing. 

"Just one nip from the pollen of the Silver Orchid," Gold frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose, "but how?"

Silver Orchid was a species of flower found in the Enchanted Forest and they  blossomed along the rocky patches of the lake where Siren resided. These flowers were known to nourish off the water from the lake and the pollen of Silver Orchid held a magical property. A sniff of the pollen invoked ineffable imaginations. It was told that Siren used it as a facilitative substance to seduce men into oblivion; which incidentally was the final ingredient needed in Gold's mixture in order to yield his ultimate solution. The mighty, powerful Rumpelstiltskin from Enchanted Forest would have been able to obtain such ingredient in the blink of an eye, however, Mr. Gold was now trapped in a different realm, a realm where magic was newly brought in, a realm where magic was yet unstable. 

If crossing realms was out of the question, "perhaps utilizing a substitute would be a viable solution," Gold thought to himself. Afterall, he only needed a potion to mildly cloud Regina's judgments. Using a substitute that merely had one fifth of Silver Orchid's potency should be more than sufficient.

With an unrelenting grunt, Gold stood up, straightened his crinkly shirt swiftly and reached out to claim the cane that had been leaning lifelessly against the table. His neck was stiff and his limbs were numb, but work could not wait any longer. At last, inhaling one deep breath, Mr. Gold decided to venture into the forest that bordered Storybrooke townline in search of a substitute for the Silver Orchid. 

Mr. Gold parked his black Cadillac on the side of the road at the Storybrooke townline. For once, the weather was tolerable and the sky above no longer carried a gloomy hue. Humidity had gradually evaporated into the thin algid air while the sun embraced the entire town with a warmth that was never found in this past winter. Gold suspected it to be a long shot to attain a replacement for such magic-containing herb, but the search had to start somewhere. Hopefully by bringing magic into town, with a little luck, Gold may just be able to find new sprouts germinating with magical properties. 

Walking in a steady pace, the smell of moist earth was refreshing and surprisingly relaxing to Gold, though the occasional encounters of thorns brushing against his impeccable suit and mud splashing onto his perfectly polished dress shoes were becoming increasingly irritating. 

"Well, I certainly make no superb apothecary in this land," Gold snickered and let out a puff of air. He had examined trees after trees, bushes after bushes and discovered nothing out of the extraordinary. There were a modium species of plants that Gold had no plenary knowledge of, nonetheless he conjured a book that documented all types of herbs from this land to complement his lack of information. Consequently, not a silver of magic was found in the woods, not to mention the actual Silver Orchid from the Enchanted Forest. Out of frustration, Gold tightened the girp of his cane and swung it fiercely at the knee-high shrub beside him. Panting heavily, he closed his eyes attempting to becalm his involuntary rapid breathing. With eye sight being eliminated from his senses, the pounding of his heart became apparent, and behind the thumping, Gold could vaguely hear water, more precisely, flowing water.   

"Yes, of course. I should have initiated my little quest by water." It just dawned on Gold that it was a mistake to begin searching in the woods. Water was an ancient element and it traveled between worlds, if anything bore lives of magic, it had to be water. Moreover, Silver Orchid was found by a lake, water would certainly be a good place to start. 

Extending an arm out with his palm open, Gold launched a green swirl of beam into the midst of a serried patch of bush and instantly split the bush in halves clearing what was blocking his view. A lake, was now presented in front of him. "Marvelous... how did I not notice this place before?" Gold was amazed by the astounding sight of the scenery. The lake was surrounded by rows after rows of trees, and the leaves on the branches were vibrant in colors overbearing signs of life. The water was placid and so clear that its surface mirrored the bright blue sky above and the wildlife surrounding the lake. The chirping and howling of unrecognized animals had made this a rather lively place, and yet Gold found peace and familiarity in it. 

Yes, it feels like... home. 

Gold's wandering mind now drifted back to the days in the Dark Castle where and when everything was isolated. He had made his peace with it to live a lonely life and not love anyone again until his son was found. But, everything changed, when Belle entered his world and filled this empty hole of darkness with love. The first time they hugged, or rather, she hugged him in the Sherwood Forest, was the first in lifetimes when he felt accepted and belonged. For once, he was content, not alone. He needed her. He loved her. Gold chuckled. He recalled that there was even a lake like this one behind his castle and how they used to take a stroll along the lake after tea time. She was so beautiful in that blue dress, and always holding a book in those gentle hands of hers...   

Struck by an abrupt pain of migraine, Gold quickly reminded himself that he was still a beast. Whoever got too close to him always ended up dead or hurt. His cowardice had denied Belle of their love and driven her into her own grave. He would not make the same mistake by living in denial. Now he would strive to find Bae and chase after his last chance of happiness. One step at a time.

Gold took a brief glance at the landscape and noticed copious amount of egg-shaped boulder rocks situating on the edge of the lake. They varied in sizes and half of them were buried in water while the other half were planted in a lavish patch of meadow. Young grass sprouts were creeping from beneath the boulders, and Gold made good use of his cane by spreading those new shoots apart with it. All of a sudden, a teensy flower poked its head out of the short bunch. 

"Oh my... Is that what I think it is?" Gold squinted his eyes trying to obtain a better view at the specimen. It was a piece of plant that had a pliant stem which bore bell-shaped flowers in a vertical fashion. The flowers were azure blue at the base and snow white at the tip which made them appeared silver by the shimmering light under the sun. It was no doubt the flower of the Silver Orchid. 

"How on earth did you manage to survive in this world?" Gold bent down on one knee to pluck the flower out of the substrate and brought it close to his face for a more elaborate examination. 

Without any warning, a gust of wind swept across the lake and brushed upon Gold's face with a gentle touch. There was a change of smell in the air. The lake water was now rippling. The waves were becoming more vigorous and discreetly approaching to Gold's presence. 

"Magical place, isn't it? What a remarkable view." A woman's voice startled Gold.The Silver Orchid fell right out of Gold's palm while he lifted his head to investigate the source of the voice. A beautiful young woman was sitting in a small wooden boat. The first thing Gold noticed was the brown wavy hair which appeared maroon under the warm bright light, it was swaying with the wind and the rocking of the boat as if it had a life of its own. Then those blue eyes, they were glowing, they seemed so genuine and full of love reminding him of bits of joyous memories long time ago in another life. Her lips were vermillion, plump on those pink cheeks which had now curled into an adorable smile, a smile that Gold did not dare dreaming of seeing again - Belle's smile. 

"You... you're alive," Gold's mouth gasped open, his breath was convulsive, and his eyes were dilating as if someone just choked the life out of him. 

"I surely hope I am alive, or you would be talking to a ghost," the woman tittered,  her smile widened a little more than before. 

"How can this be?" Still in shocking astonishment, Gold heedlessly picked up his cane and walked toward her boat in zombified manner. His dress shoes were now submerged in the lake. His pants were soaked up to his calves from the splashing of walking, water had woven its way into every fiber of his lower garment and was slowly creeping up to his mid thighs. Yet, Gold stayed utterly oblivious. 

"Um... would you like to come up to my boat?" With a curious, bamboozled look, she held out her arm and managed to shift Gold onto the boat in one pull. 

"Sweetheart... I am so sorry." Gold could not restrain his overwhelming emotions any longer. He got on his knees and pulled her into a tight embrace with his cheek pressing against her temple. His eyes were glistening with hot tears, his body was trembling. 

The woman flinched and gently pushed Gold away. She frowned, "I... I am sorry, but I don't believe we have met before?" 

Gold stared into her gaze, hands still gripping her arms. "You don't remember me?"

"I have no memory of you, sir. Do I know you?" She tilted her head to one side, seemingly perplexed. 

"No, you don't." Gold uttered in a deterred tone. He did not understand. If Belle was alive, and the curse had been broken, why did she not remember all things in the past? 

"Well then, please allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Belle." Belle extended her hand out to reach for Gold's, "and you are...?"

"Rumple, please, call me Rumple." Gold's lips were pressed into a thin smile. Not exactly a genuine one, but enough to display friendliness. Belle's little introduction brought Gold deeper into confusion. She kept her name but not her true identity? How ever did that happen?

"Rumple... What an unusual name. I like that." Belle stared down onto their still linked hands. The handshake had lingered a tad longer than necessary which induced a faint color of red on Belle's cheeks. Finally, Gold noticed the increasing heat between their palms and broke off the physical contact. 

"So Rumple, what are you doing in the heart of the forest in that outfit of yours so early in the morning?" Belle meant to question in a playful tone. Nevertheless, Gold was still absorbing the impact of this situation, his expression remained bland, bypassing such frolicsome locution.

"I am here to... to collect flowers." The statement itself sounded ridiculous, as if he was about to gather some flowers to court a lady. 

"For a loved one?"  

"No, for... medicinal purpose." It was a lie, of course. Unless Regina could be classified as some sort of sickness, the type that brooded constant annoying pain in the arse. Gold was not certain how much Belle was aware of the existence of magic, thus he did not mention a word of potion. It would be more than unnecessary to add one more variable into this complex matrix.

"Perhaps I can help? Can you describe how they look like?" 

"Blue and white, bell-shaped flowers suspending on the stem. I was just holding it before you..." Gold paused in the middle of the sentence. He took a moment to gather his scattering thoughts and recollected. Silver Orchid. The wind. Sniff of the air. Belle. All of a sudden, everything made sense. 

Mr. Gold was under the spell of the Silver Orchid. 

There was no Belle. She was no Belle, merely a figment of his own imagination. But he had touched her, she felt as real as the cane he was now helplessly clinging on. Was this how Siren had captured her prey, painting a picture that was so plausible that men were willing to drown at her feet? Should he be concerned with this delusion? 

Probably not. Gold concluded. As a matter of fact, this may be his one chance to cope with the sorrow of losing Belle. He had dreamed of seeing her again innumerable times, now he was desperate enough to believe in his own chimera. The fact that this apparitional Belle held no memory of him was most likely his subliminal doing. He wanted a blank canvas to delineate a happy ending with Belle, his own version happy ending. Without knowing who he was, Belle saw no beast nor a coward. In her eyes now, Gold was just an ordinary man, a man who could now love freely in the realm of his dreams.

"Rumple?" Belle's voice interrupted Gold's trend of thoughts and changed his expression from a daze to something more ardent. 

"Forgive me darling, I was just mesmerized by how stunningly beautiful you are." Gold's gaze softened, cheeks curved into a true, genuine smile. Belle's blush was now more evident than ever.

"Never mind about the flowers, my dear. Would you care to spend some time with me out here, for the sake of this lovely weather? That's if you don't mind the company of an old, crippled man like me." 

"I would love to. But please Rumple, don't debase yourself like that." 

"Thank you Belle, for indulging me." 

The creacking sound that was squeaking in their ears made both Gold and Belle realize that the boat had been wobbling one side to another. By the time they turned their heads to examine the surrounding, the boat had drifted further toward the center of the lake. 

"Quaint little boat you have here, whatever compelled you to be on it all by yourself?"

"This is how I like to spare my down time. Sitting in a boat reading a book, feeling adrift at the mercy of the wind. Look! I even brought some snack and tea." Belle lifted a little picnic basket that was beside her, flipped open the lid and took out a teapot and a cup. "I only prepared one teacup for myself, we are just going to have to share." She steadily poured some hot liquid into the cup and handed it to Gold. 

"Ah thank you Belle." The thought of sharing tea out of the same cup with Belle made Gold's heart flutter like a teenage boy. He then thought of their chipped cup that was still at the shop, hidden somewhere safe so that vile woman could never get her hands on it ever again. He would hold on to the symbol of their love forever. After all, it was the only object in the shop that he truly cherished. Gold took a sip of the tea and the flavor instaneously tingled his taste bud, "exquisite." He made a muffled choked up sound that almost resembled a whimper. Belle's tea, something he hadn't tasted in Gods knew how long. 

"So you are an avid reader I take it?" Gold returned the cup back to Belle, she took a sip while he tried to divert his attention to the book that was also sitting in the basket.

"I like to engage myself in adventures that only seem to take place in books. For some odd reasons, this life, this world that we live in don't seem real to me. It's almost like I belong to a different reality in a different land at a different time." Belle stared into space, hinting a slight expression of dejection. 

"I understand what you are feeling darling. You dream of heroics, thinking there must be so much more than the life you are living in. This can't be all that life offers." Gold pressed his thumb to Belle's chin so she would look at him. He would offer comfort to his imaginary Belle. This was an opportunity to be the man he never could have been for her. 

Belle's clear blue eyes brightened up as if she finally found guidance amidst of the long dark night, "you are one wise man Rumple. And I am glad that you don't think I am insane." She let out a heartfelt laugh, removed his hand off her chin but kept it in her warm palm. Their fingers were latched with one and another's. 

"Well, I am a man with a long history and many stories." Gold winked at her, appreciating every touch she offered. 

"Then tell me a story Rumple, tell me one of your favorites. Please."

Gold could not resist Belle's tender pleading, he pulled her toward his end of the boat and had her head rest on his lap, "then you are going to have to get comfortable for this story, dear." His right hand was now in her soft curls massaging her scalp while the other was still holding her hand exerting comfort. Belle let out a content moan and shutt off her eye lids. 

"Once upon a time, there was a powerful sorcerer who made a deal with the daughter of a duke whose village was in awe of orgre attacks. In exchange of peace and safety of the town, she would forever be the caretaker for the sorcerer's estate. The sorcerer was no man, but a beast who hid behind the mask of a cursed power. He locked the princess up in his dungeon for days and days and was crude to her misfortune..." Gold depicted their story in details as if it only happened yesterday. He tried to sound as objective as possible so their tale would seem fictional. 

He felt Belle's hand tensed in his whenever he spoke of how the princess chipped the teacup, how the beast caught her when she fell off the ladder, how the curse was broken with true love's kiss, and how the monster in the end forced her away. Eventually Gold felt Belle's hot tears dripping on the back of his hand. She was sobbing. 

"Sweetheart, shhh... It's all right. It's alright. It's just a story." Belle's sudden emotional breakdown startled Gold. She leaned her face into Gold's chest, still whimpering, arms gripping helplessly onto his waist. Before Gold knew what to do, they were locked into a tight embrace.

"He shouldn't have let her go." Belle mumbled against Gold's dress shirt.

"You are right. He shouldn't have." Petting her hair, Gold was heartbroken. Guilt and regret were two emotions that were impaling upon him. 

"I bet the beast was a charming handsome man. I would have fallen in love with him too, you know."

"I wouldn't know about that sweetheart." Gold chuckled, simply glad that Belle had calmed down. 

Gold and Belle spent the next hour in silent placidity. Perhaps it was due to the limited space within the boat, they never seemed to detach themselves from each other's touch. Belle remained in his laps, inhaling and exhaling in a steady rhythm. The image of Gold being peacefully still with Belle in his arms was an absolute hoax, on the inside he was tumbling in waves after waves of turmoil. He desperately desired to kiss Belle, however, struggled with the fear for rejection. At last, Belle opened her eyes and leaned into his sweaty palm looking at him lovingly as if she wanted more than a simple touch. Every fiber of Gold's muscles tensed, and time suddenly ceased to move forward. In slow motion, Gold bent down, mouth aiming for Belle's lips. Her chest was heaving as if she could not gather any air into her lungs. When his face was only a few inches away from hers, a slip of uncertainty took Gold by surprise, he then altered the angle of his face landing his lips on her forehead, a light gentle peck. Evidently, he had missed the moment. "You coward, Rumpelstiltskin." Gold reprimanded himself in soft whisper.

Belle rised from Gold's embrace, tilted her head with a quirked eyebrow and a look that almost resembled a pout, "was this all I get?"

Before Gold could say a word, Belle encircled his neck with her arms and supported herself upward so their lips met. Dumbfounded, Gold was uncertain if he should break off the kiss and question her if this was really happening or grab onto her and devour her face as if his life depended on it. Neither, he decided. Rationality should take no part of such endeavor, overthinking would only trigger the nature of his cowardice. He would love Belle, kiss her because he wanted to, cradle her because her body was eager to be cherished under his fingertips. Gold tightened the grip on Belle's waist and pulled her forward with a firm exertion leaving no space between two bodies. Gradually their kiss transformed from a chaste contact to fiery passion. Belle tasted of a mixture of floral sweetness and refreshing tea with a hint honey, he needed more of it. Propelled by the courage that boiled over, Gold nipped at Belle's lower lip and snuck his tongue into her mouth. Belle welcomed him with her own and they were soon tangled in a warm, moist slop. Gold was starting to grow uncomfortable in his groin as Belle pressed her torso atop of him. With a deep moan, Gold attempted to rotate Belle from above to beneath him without separating his mouth from hers. The boat had been wobbling precariously as they became over zealous, the moment Gold pressed his weight against Belle, the boat tipped over leaving one end in the air. 

"No-no-no-no-no!" Belle clawed at Gold's shoulders as if he could help escape their inevitible fate. Gold flashed her a bitter smile before both of them tumbled into the lakewater with a loud thump. 

"Well, that was uncalled-for. Are you all right?" Afloat in water, Belle nodded and bursted out in laughters. Seeing her with so much joy, Gold was confused, but he was only too happy that their little plight had turned into a lovely moment, he would give up anything and everything to see and hear her laughters. 

Luckily, they were a few feets away from dry land, Gold and Belle half-swam and half-walked toward the spot where he first saw her. 

"Come on, let's see if we can do something about our soaking state." Belle grabbed at Gold's hand and dragged him toward a large tree in middle of the meadow. The sun was bright and warm which made this incident not so insufferable. 

"And what do you suggest, dear?" Limping and hopping, Gold did not utilize the cane that he strove so desperately to save for walking. Rather, he held it like a piece of inpracticable accessory and let Belle drag him along the grass.

"I have a blanket in my basket, and I don't think the inside of my basket was invaded by water at all. We can probably take the advantage of that."

 As they reached the large tree, Belle proceeded to dry her hair by twisting it into one bunch. Gold sat down in the shade with his back leaning against the tree trunk, enjoying the view of water dripping down from Belle's curls. 

Gold's heart suddenly skipped a beat as he heard the sound of zipper ringing in his ears. "B-belle... What are you doing?" There she was, the woman of his dream standing in the sun, unzipping her dress, taking off her garment leaving only navy blue laced brassiere and underwear on her silky pale skin. 

"Getting rid of my wet clothes so they can dry in the sun, of course. You probably should do the same, or you will get sick." As if she did not notice Gold's intense stare and aggrandizing rapid breathing, Belle nonchalantly walked toward her picnic basket by Gold and bent over to acquire a beige blanket out of it. For the life of him, Gold could not tear away his gaze from Belle's breasts which were only inches away from his face. At last, Belle wrapped the blanket around her torso covering whatever was making parts of his body tingle. 

"Go on." Belle gestured Gold to remove his clothing. Unsure of what to do, Gold began with removing his suit jacket which he felt ten times lighter when it was off. He contemplated whether to tell her that all this sloppy wet mess could be solved by a simple snap of magic, he then rescinded the idea and decided it was much better to see Belle with less clothing intead. Gold undid his tie, doffed off his shoes and socks and paused. He had approached his limit, if he had removed one more piece of his clothing, he would had been overly exposed. As vulnerable and insecure as he was now, he would not go on. 

"What's wrong Rumple?" 

"I think this... is good enough." Gold brushed over his shirt indicating that he was content with the state he was in. 

"Here, let me help you." Ignoring Gold's assurance, Belle discarded the blanket that was enfolding her body and got on her knees situating herself inbetween his thighs. 

Belle's long tender fingers trembled as she slowly unbuttoned Gold's shirt. Her face was so close to his body that he could feel her breath caressing his chest as each inch of skin was revealed. "You have a beautiful body, Rumple." Belle lifted her glance to match with Gold's after she unravelled the last button of his shirt. "You are humoring me." Gold looked away, appeared embarrassed. 

"No, I am not." Holding Gold's shirt open, Belle began planting light tiny kisses on his chest along the sternum slowly down to the lower belly of his torso. 

"Oh... Belle..." Gold could not form a full sentence anymore as she reached for his buckle to unclip it. She continued her fluttering kisses while gently pulling down his trousers. It was evident that Gold was in an exciting state. Moving further down, Belle pressed more kisses onto his tented boxers feeling his hard organ beneath the underwear twitch. Belle looked up to see Gold's blushing face and swiftly elevated herself while her hand wove into his boxers encompassing his rigid member. Whispering in his ear, Belle exerted a slight pressure around him, "will you take me, Rumple?"

"Gods yes. Belle, please let me have you." Gold's heart rate was accelerating at a wayward velocity which nearly made him nauseous. He impulsively shrugged off his shirt and enfolded his arms around Belle's back to unclapse her brassiere. It seemed that the mixture of floral scent and sweet tea did not merely exude from Belle's kiss but also seep from her smooth fragile skin. Without being interrupted this time, he manged to turn her over swiftly and ran his tongue from the back of her ear down to her soft bosom leaving a wet trail that made Belle shiver. Gold then drew one of her nipples into his mouth and suckled on it as if it was the essence of life while his hand wandered into Belle's lower garment. The fact that Belle was ready for him brought Gold to a higher elation, he groaned with his mouth still on her and shifted his finger to rubbing the sensitive nub. Moaning in pleasure, Belle started to stroke Gold's engorged member mimicking the way he was caressing her. Between the intervals of convulsive heaving, Gold's lips left Belle's breasts as he inserted a finger into her entrance, he wanted to kiss her passionately while he felt her from the inside. As their lips met once more, Gold pressed another finger into her and coated his fingers with her moisture. Thrusting slowly and deeply, he could feel her swelling and clenching on the inside, Gold then gently pushed his fingers further and curled them upward to caress a spot that was new but blindsidingly arousing to Belle. "Come for me, my beautiful Belle." Gold nipped at her earlobe uttering soft whisperers in her ear. Witnessing Belle fall apart in his arms was absolutely a glorious sight. She was trembling against his rigid body whlie his hand remained inside her, she was growing wetter after an intense climax. 

"Now, now, now. Where is my reward?" Flashing a feral grin, Gold's voice was an octave lower, his eyes were darkened with deepest desire.

"Please allow me." Belle's hand drifted back to Gold's underwear and lazily removed them by pulling at the waistband.

Being uncomfortable with his state of nudity, Gold quickly reached for the blanket to cover both of them while he elegantly adjusted his posture above Belle. Stroking his excited manhood, Gold lingered at Belle's salivating entrance for a few moments by rubbing the tip along her outer lips to spread moisture onto his length. Despite how insecure Gold felt about his physical appearance, he scrambled to display an assuring smile. The moment Belle showed him a loving, trusting look, he simply could not defy his wanting any longer. Gently and slowly, Gold eased himself into Belle. He kissed her forehead with a muffled moan as his length was fully buried in her warm sheath. Belle's eyes were closed while he withdrew, her sigh was a mixture of disappointment and anticipation. As he entered again, a spark of ecstacy imploded. "Oh, Belle..." Gold kept chanting Belle's name like an ernest prayer as he gradually accelerated the rhythm of his rocking. Each thrust became deeper, harder and more desperate, Belle subliminally wrapped her legs around his waist with greater urgency and yanked the blanket off their sweating bodies. 

As Gold's thrusting had reached a saturation point, it was Belle's squeeze that pushed him over the edge. "Oh, I love you Belle. Please don't leave me again!" Gold held on to her tightly as he released his seeds deeply within her. Somehow, this powerful orgasm had brought Gold forth vocalizing his regrets. Belle was also trembling under his arms as tears welled around those clear blue eyes. Cupping Belle's flushed cheek, Gold rubbed the patch of skin beneath her eye with his thumb. "Let's enjoy the time we have left together, okay? Darling?" Belle agreed in silence and buried her face at his neck smearing tears all over Gold's collar bone. "Shh- it's okay, love. Just close your eyes, and listen to my heart beating. It will sooth you." Belle followed Gold's advice and sluggishly shut her eyes lids, attached her cheek onto his chest. "Yes, that's it." Gold's voice became softer, while his fingers stroke through the locks of her hair. Retrieving the discarded blanket, Gold covered theire torsos with it after Belle fell asleep in his embrace.

"I love you Belle, I just want you to know before you... before you fade away." Gold whispered in her ear as he also closed his eyes and drifted into another dream land.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first thing Gold heard as he gained conscious was the sizzling sound of burning wood. Battling with the conundrum on whether he should face the reality or simply keep his eyes closed, he stayed lying down for several moments.

Alas, his agenda persisted and he simply could not be inert forever, this time he would take more caution into handling the flowers in spite of how pleasant of a hallucinatory journey he had. Gold groaned and reluctantly opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was that he was no longer laying on grass but a proper bed. "So... this was just a dream then," Gold thought. However, he soon noticed the suspiciously acquainting surrounding, "how on earth did I end up in the cabin?"

Somehow Gold woke up in his own cabin while his last viable memory was at the lake. "The lake... wait, could it be?" Gold sprang from the bed, instinctively reached for his cane and walked toward the window. The sun was setting, neverthelss, there was still sufficient light to reveal that it was the same lake where he found the Silver Orchid. Astounded, Gold could only laugh at his lack of time in being in this cabin for recreational purpose, he had utterly forgotten about the lake nearby. Therefore, Gold concluded that after the hallucinogen wore off, he unconsciously walked himself back to the cabin, started the fireplace, and proceeded to go to bed. This justification was slightly skeptical, but feasible with his work of magic. 

Everything could be explained until Gold turned away from the window and discovered that the blanket that had been wrapping around him in his sleep was the same beige blanket he had shared with Belle. And suddenly, the picnic basket that was on the night stand was starting to look very familiar.

Gold inhaled a deep breath and rested both of his hands on the handle of the cane knowing that there was only one resolution to construe this bamboozlement.

"Belle... was real?"

 

*To Be Continued*

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt in writing a fanfiction, please excuse me if the writing is not well done. Please leave comments if the story compells you in a negative or a positive way. I just want to shout out thanks to all the fanfic writers out there, you inspired me to start writing. And to all the smut writers... you have my 100% respect, sex scenes were definitely very challenging for me.


End file.
